Elementary school kids at Utah's Soaring Wings International Montessori School have shown they've been paying attention in class. One group stole the show with its invention to fight air pollution.
As TownLift reported, Upper Elementary students had the opportunity to show off their math, engineering, and geometry skills at the annual Invention Convention. This year, the flying air filter built by nine-year-olds stood out. The young team constructed a sustainable air filtration system from repurposed materials and a custom drone using 3D printing.
The Salt Lake Valley's winter inversion — which contains smog particle pollution from a mix of sources, according to NASA Earth Observatory — was the students' inspiration for an air-cleaning device. The atmospheric phenomenon happens when a layer of warm air at high altitudes traps cooler air and pollution near the ground.
Dr. Kevin Perry, associate professor of atmospheric science at the University of Utah, told The Salt Lake Tribune that "a lot of those particles will end up going into your lungs," and some dissolve in the bloodstream, contributing to increased risk of stroke, heart disease, and premature birth.
According to Brigham Young University research, air pollution costs Utah's economy about $1.8 billion annually due to factors such as related healthcare expenses and reduced tourism. Consequently, the average local life expectancy also shortens by two years.
However, if the flying air filter prototype moves beyond the experimental phase one day, it may benefit the state population's health and economy, thus protecting these children's future. In the meantime, the students plan to further refine their designs and create other inventions.
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These Utah kids are among a growing number of youngsters worldwide making a difference in their communities by taking local action. A pair of Texas teens developed a way to filter microplastics from water through ultrasound after a visit to a local water plant. In Australia, one young lady developed a device to limit waste while waiting for the shower water to warm up.
Even if creating inventions is beyond your scope, one can donate money to climate causes, educate themselves about issues, and volunteer to make a positive impact while helping the planet become cooler and cleaner again.
One way you can immediately reduce your contribution to air pollution is by switching to an electric vehicle, which doesn't produce tailpipe exhaust.
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